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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25968589">In Barcelona</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tussleboy/pseuds/tussleboy'>tussleboy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lupin III</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Feel-good, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, In Public, M/M, POV Jigen Daisuke, Pining, Secret Crush</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:49:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25968589</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tussleboy/pseuds/tussleboy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A short, light read. </p><p>The two men go out to a restaurant. Jigen is made to confront how he feels about Lupin. Lupin schemes accordingly.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jigen Daisuke/Arsène Lupin III</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In Barcelona</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn't often that he found himself alone with Lupin anymore, much less for any meaningful amount of time. For Jigen, this was both a convenient and inconvenient fact. Having his ear talked off was charming only when he was in the mood for it, the undivided attention either comforting or overwhelming.</p><p>But tonight, with both Goemon and Fujiko elsewhere, Jigen and Lupin had settled on taking a stroll down the alleys and avenues of Barcelona, seeing what bars piqued their interests. As Lupin prattled on in continual, broken Spanish to every good-looking passerby he met eyes with, Jigen hunched his shoulders more and more, his consciousness caving in on him. Silly of him to think he'd have this night with just Lupin and not his braggadocio, too. Perhaps he took his expectation of having too much of Lupin's attention for granted; watching Lupin fling it around only made Jigen self-conscious. His frustration looped in on itself, becoming annoyed at the fact he was annoyed to begin with. Walking straight forward, his hat thankfully hid his eyes, his gaze glued to the ground out of some emotion he refused to try to unpack. </p><p>"Ah! Are you hungry? Just thirsty?" </p><p>Lupin's native tongue caught Jigen's ear. Jigen looked up just enough to see Lupin jutting a thumb over his shoulder to point out a neon sign flickering "tapas". He grunted an approval and headed towards it, stamping out his cigarette on the way as if to punctuate his lack of a sentence.</p><p>Lupin skipped and galloped to catch up, taking the lead to grab the attention of the host and, seemingly, ask for a table for two. Jigen understood no Spanish, but by the sparse responses by the restaurant's staff, even he could tell the conversation wasn't going anywhere. Regardless, Lupin pointed to a small table on the patio with two chairs, and flashed an OK to the host, who wordlessly turned away to enter the restaurant. Lupin hurried over to make a show out of pulling out a chair for Jigen, who grit his teeth to avoid falling for the charm. As soon as he sat down, he focused on digging through his breast pocket to fish out another cigarette and pop it into his mouth. Before his other hand could follow with his lighter, Lupin had produced a flame for him, waiting until Jigen's eyes met his to give him a dramatic wink. Jigen inhaled and let the smoke fill his lungs, closing his eyes and hoping that nicotine would help him ignore Lupin's obvious neediness. Once was a joke, but twice is a pattern.</p><p>Jigen blew his smoke out towards the street, opening himself up in the chair to try to relax some of the tension he felt in his neck. His knee bumped Lupin's, who had sat in the chair right next to him - instead of across from him - and Jigen bit down on the filter between his teeth. Lupin was too deliberate to let all of these be just a gag -- of everyone, Jigen knew Lupin always had some shrewd plan, and just as always, Jigen hated being in the dark about it.</p><p>"What are you trying to pull tonight, huh? Didn't get your fill of attention from the strangers on the street?" The words came out far too sharp, a question turning into an accusation. Jigen took another drag to avert his frustration a bit. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Lupin's smile curl fiendishly. Guess he fell for the trap.</p><p>"Oh, Jigen, strangers could never compare to my partner, you know that," Lupin crooned, syrupy and sickly. Jigen grunted again, which thankfully Lupin understood: "Come on, tonight's our night," he landed a congenial slap on Jigen's back; "besides, I thought you didn't speak any Spanish!"</p><p>"Your dirty talk sounds the same in any language," Jigen spat back. He felt like he was losing an argument, with how he had clearly played right into Lupin's hand again. </p><p>"Ha, is that so? And which language does it sound best in, Jigen?" He could hear the smirk on Lupin's face. </p><p>"How should I know? Not like it's meant for--"</p><p>Jigen cut himself off, but Lupin let out a breathy laugh to show he'd gotten the gist anyway. The waiter then put down a few menus, which Jigen had hoped would offer some sort of distraction, but neither of them paid the table any mind, not moving a muscle until the waiter left again.</p><p>"Jigen, babe, I know I don't have to impress you; if there's anything you want, all you need to do is ask - you know that!" Lupin's tone straightened itself out a bit more, but not enough for Jigen to stop focusing his eyes elsewhere. Earnestness was hard to come by, so Jigen didn't hold his breath. Until: "You know that, right? Daisuke?"</p><p>Jigen whipped his head around quickly enough to tip his hat back and catch Lupin's eye contact, begrudgingly showing him the attention he was so set on getting. The rest, Jigen could chalk up to Lupin's usual antics, but calling him by his given name... that was personal. His brain raced, fueled by disbelief, suspicion, anger.</p><p>Jigen couldn't handle being lied to like this -- being told something was right under his nose while knowing damn well it was just out of his reach. Knowing damn well that it'd be foolish to try to wrangle the body of the greatest escape artist, to lay claim to the heart of the most slippery thief. His jealousy was an inconvenience at best, but a grating anxiety at worst. Nights out with the gang weren't hard, but with just the two of them, his mind always strayed, entertained the idea of having a more meaningful relationship than just being business partners. </p><p>There was only so much Jigen could take: only so many times he could rejoice in success with Lupin, only so many times he could be nursed back to health by Lupin, only so many times he could sleep soundly next to Lupin, without eventually feeling some sincere connection with the man. They'd been with each other through so much, spent years and years together, been the only constant in each others' barely stable lives. It was so frustratingly easy for Jigen to not only fall victim to Lupin's unyielding charm but also feel privileged to see everything else underneath - his flaws, his insecurities, his strengths, his passion. Lupin was so much more than just a thief. </p><p>Yet, Jigen knew that Lupin's outward persona was not a falsehood, and in fact was just the other side of the same coin. For every time he shared in success with Jigen, he'd bought a bottle of expensive champagne for some mustachioed taximan from Sorrento. For every time he'd helped Jigen back on his feet, he'd massaged the knots out of a German duchess's back. For every time he'd shared a quiet restful night with Jigen, he'd shared a rambunctious bacchanal with whomever owned the penthouse suite in the Ritz-Carlton Moscow. </p><p>Even if Jigen saw those times they shared as special, or meaningful, he had convinced himself - perhaps out of self-defense - that they were anything but personal to Lupin.</p><p>However, it had been quite some time since he had used Jigen's given name, and that had cracked a sizable fissure in the confidence with which Jigen held that fact. </p><p>Jigen let go a slow roll of smoke from his mouth, languid fog hovering in the air between the two men. He tipped his hat back forward, as if trying to wipe off the surprise he'd just expressed. "Careful, Lupin - I know you're just trying to get a rise out of me, but tonight's really not the night," Jigen grumbled through gnashed teeth, cigarette bouncing nervously between his lips. "It's been a long week and I'd prefer to keep the surprises to a minimum." He knew showing weakness to Lupin was only a way to make him wiggle his fingers in further.</p><p>"I know! I know!" Lupin's hands shot up in defense, his voice high and quick. "I'm not just trying to yank your chain here, I swear! I just mean -- we're pals; we don't need to be hiding secrets, right? It's not every night we get to talk man-to-man, you know." Jigen silently sucked another lungful of smoke while Lupin produced a cigarette of his own with practiced grace, neither of them breaking eye contact. </p><p>"And, well, you haven't answered my question, yet…" Lupin trailed off before popping the cig into his mouth. Before Jigen could turn his glance away, Lupin stood ever so slightly to lean over the table, nearing Jigen's face with his own, and gently touched the tip of his cigarette to Jigen's. A slow, lazy inhale was all it took to light Lupin's cigarette off of Jigen's, their faces illuminated by the shared glow they nurtured. This sign of endearment was nothing new, but the context definitely was. In this intimate moment, Lupin whispered: "You've got me all to yourself tonight. What do you want to do?" </p><p>Jigen's eyes betrayed him, glancing centimeters down to Lupin's lips just long enough to watch them spread into a smile. Time hung in the air as Jigen felt his heart pound, the space between them smoky, warm, and intimate. A dream-like haze blurred his vision, melted his inhibitions away. He felt… a yearning.</p><p>Lupin abruptly sat back in his chair, and plucked away his cigarette with his fingers so he could start up with his shitty Spanish again, seemingly ordering some things from the waiter who had appeared in front of their table. Jigen blinked, and sat back in his chair, awestruck and confused. He ignored Lupin's prattlings and tried desperately to fill his lungs with as much nicotine as he could handle, holding in coughs that would only serve to call more attention to him. He was fighting his urges to run, to act like this never happened, hoping desperately that this was just a prank -- or would he rather it not be? He trusted Lupin with his life, but to trust him with his heart was a more terrifying prospect. Barely a minute went by before the waiter silently left their table, apparently finished listening to whatever information Lupin was trying to convey. </p><p>When Lupin turned his attention back to Jigen, his smile sat naturally on his lips, unassuming yet threatening. Jigen refused to look at him, his mind running in circles, already exhausted from predicting how fantasy turning reality would affect him. Lupin very pointedly tried to regain eye contact, owlishly bobbing his head. When he did not succeed, Lupin's cigarette landed back in his mouth, and slowly, under the table, his hand landed softly on Jigen's thigh. His touch was so gentle, long fingers gingerly spread across sleek fabric. Jigen hesitated for a moment, then reached as if to smack a fly off his leg, but Lupin deftly lifted his hand and pinned it down, sandwiching Jigen's hand on his thigh.</p><p>"I promise I'll stop the second you say so, Jigen." Lupin whispered, voice warm and dark, his usual lilt forgone in the name of earnestness. "Is this okay?"</p><p>Jigen stalled, as if his repeated fantasizing hadn't at all prepared him for this moment. He felt Lupin's honesty, and couldn't bear to not honor that. He was scared, but of what, he could not visualize. Like Lupin said… no need to be hiding secrets.</p><p>Jigen turned his hand over on his thigh, gripping Lupin's in a silent signal of intimacy. "...I'm not a one-night-stand kinda guy, Lupin; you know that."</p><p>Lupin squeezed back, softening his locked eye contact into a solemn gaze. "Have I ever run off on you before?"</p><p>Jigen huffed a stifled chuckle, the puff of smoke obscuring his vision a bit. This moment was a culmination of trust, of fear; of curiosity, of devotion. He found it difficult to assign a word to how he felt about Lupin, but tonight, he really felt… special.</p><p>With Jigen's free hand, he slowly pulled the cigarette from his mouth, and no sooner had Lupin done the same. Lupin's chair creaked as he closed the distance between them and met Jigen's lips with his own, fitting together as if practiced to perfection. Jigen drew a long breath through his nose, initial shock giving way to melty euphoria. They shared their first kiss as if commemorating their years spent together, a solemn tribute to a life side-by-side. His eyes fluttered closed and he loosened his grip on Lupin's hand, instead slinking his fingers up to squeeze Lupin's forearm, holding onto this moment that so threatened to be fleeting. Lupin deepened the kiss, every gentle movement so careful and deliberate. Jigen believed - no, knew - that this was Lupin's truest expression.</p><p>They parted slowly and carefully, Lupin waiting until Jigen had opened his eyes to smile a cheerful, sunny grin - the sort that Jigen had come to appreciate and cherish every time he'd seen it. A heartbeat later, Jigen leaned forward, tilting his head and finding his place between Lupin's lips with newly-found confidence. He sucked against Lupin's lower lip and plunged into the kiss, opening his mouth only to allow a shuddering breath to escape. Never to be outdone, Lupin's hand slid its way up Jigen's thigh, upping the ante in no insignificant matter. Jigen's eyes screwed shut, hoping that Lupin wouldn't reach high enough to find how embarrassingly strained Jigen found himself. Their tongues grazed as they tested each others' limits, Lupin seemingly following Jigen's lead in the kiss as his fingers explored more courageously. </p><p>Jigen's breath hitched, feeling a soft caress across his groin. He pulled back from the kiss a fraction of a centimeter, if only to allow himself space to deal with the new sensation. Lupin took the opportunity to lean into Jigen's ear, stubble tickling his cheek. "Always figured you were a grower, Jigen," he whispered, trailing his fingertips along the stretched slacks that left no feature to the imagination. They'd of course seen each other in the buff before, but Lupin never had this curiosity fulfilled until now. Lupin palmed Jigen's length against his leg, rubbing gently from the base and up.  "I'd ordered a few appetizers, but, I really wouldn't want to fill up before the main course, would I?" </p><p>Pulling his hat down even further over his eyes, Jigen struggled to keep some composure as Lupin toyed with him, fully aware that Lupin probably just loved to watch him squirm. After a few seconds of lavish attention, he wrapped a hand around Lupin's wrist, who stopped moving as soon as their touch met. "Lupin… can we take this… you know…?" he grunted through gritted teeth. Being overstimulated was not on Jigen's list for the night - at least, not in public.</p><p>Lupin pulled his hand back and clasped his hands around his face dramatically,  fluttering his lashes at Jigen. "Oh, Daisuke, are you asking me to bed?" he swooned; "I thought you'd nev--" Lupin's words cut off with a yelp as he was pulled up and out of his chair by his tie, Jigen yanking him back into the street and in the direction of their hotel. </p><p>"Call me Daisuke again and you'll regret it, you little--" Jigen fumbled with his hat with his other hand as he stomped his way to their lodgings, Lupin practically skipping behind. Jigen's grip on the tie loosened as Lupin skipped in front of him, the sly smile curling back onto his mouth.</p><p>"If I play my cards right, I hope to be yelling it all night, partner!" Lupin guffawed, nearly tripping as he led Jigen over the rough cobblestones of the Spanish alleyway. </p><p>Jigen wasn't sure what tomorrow might hold, but for tonight, he was surely going to enjoy his time alone with Lupin.</p>
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